ITANAGAR, 22 Mar: A day after villagers in Tirap and Changlang districts protested against the various factions of the NSCN, the NSCN-GPRN on Tuesday came down heavily on the Indian Army for gunning down “two” of its operatives in Tirap district on 20 March.
Villagers have said that one of those killed, Riattu Kakho (51), of Kolagaon village in Bari Basip circle of Tirap district, was not linked to any group, and that he was killed in the crossfire between the NSCN (IM) and the 6th Assam Rifles.
“NSCN is not going to take the things lying down. NSCN have had enough in the hands of the Assam Rifles (AR), and it is now time to say ‘enough is enough,” the NSCN-GPRN said in a press statement.
“Two NSCN cadres being gunned down deliberately despite knowing that they are not NSCN (K-YA) members is something we cannot forbear any longer. There is, therefore, a question from NSCN and a decisive answer that should come forth from the government of India on the status of the Indo-Naga ceasefire in Arunachal Pradesh.”
It said: “Ridiculous enough, on many occasions, the AR has gone too aggressive to get the best of the ceasefire ground rules (CFGR) to suit its devilish design against NSCN which exercised a gentleman attitude all the way to honour the CFGRs.”
“The AR doesn’t give a hoot when it comes to the CFGRs, no matter how abusive it looks from the political perspective, which goes into signing the historic Indo-Naga ceasefire in 1997. This has been the reckless attitude of the AR for the last 25 years while rubbing the wrong side of NSCN,” it said.
“NSCN is ready to go for unrestrained fury to give sleepless nights to the AR in Arunachal Pradesh if the mindless attack against NSCN goes on unabated under one pretext or the other,” the press statement said.
It said: “Arunachal has been on NSCN’s radar for quite sometimes when Arunachal Pradesh chief minister and his deputy chief minister entered into a political conspiracy to erase the ethnic identity of the Nagas in the state. NSCN shall leave no stone unturned not to allow any Naga MLAs/ministers to walk away scot-free on charges of supporting anti-Naga socio-politico stand.”
It claimed that the NSCN has not sent its forces to Arunachal to create nuisance or provoke the AR.
“It is our right to exercise prerogative. It is our right to contribute building peace in our land to fulfil the purpose of signing the ceasefire 25 years ago. But if the ministry of home affairs, government of India, thinks that there is no ceasefire in Arunachal Pradesh, let it be so. NSCN shall waste no time to unbound itself from the shackle of the ceasefire ground rules it believes covers Arunachal Pradesh,” the statement added.
